n 





pH8J 




REPORT 



or THE 



Cljc |rfltcdib£ Har Claim 



ASSOCIATION 



OF THE 



M 




STATE OF XEW-YORK. 



vV^' 




WM. C. MAIiTIN, PRINTER, 111 JOHN STREET. 



1864. 






OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 



OF 



^k Iprjokdibc Mar Claim ^.ssraatioiT, 



OP THE STATE OP NEW-YORK. 



Lieutenant-general WINFIELD SCOTT. 

Hon. HAMILTON FISH. Admiral DUPONT. 

JOHN J. CISCO, Esq. RUDOLPH A. WITTHAUS, Esq. 



ROBT. B. MINTURN. 



HENRY (IREENFIELD. 



^ixtttot^. 



Hon 



Rev 
Mr. 



. EDWIN D. MORGAN. 

HIRAM BARNEY. 

GEORGE OPDYKE. 

JAMES W. BEEKMAN. 

H. W. BELLOWS. D. D. 
JOHN JACOB ASTOR. 
JAMES BROWN. 
WM. H. ASPINWALL. 
JAMES GALLATIN. 



Mr. HOWARD POTTER. 

" THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 

" AVM. E. DODGE, Jr. 

" PETER COOPER. 

" GEORGE BANCROFT. 

" DANIEL LORD. 

" WILSON G. HUNT. 

" ROBT. L. STUART. 

" ALFRED PELL. 



(ixtmiivt (Kommittff. 

HOWARD POTTER, Chairman. 
WM. E. DODGE, Jr. 



THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 



OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION. 



1st. To secure to Soldiers and Sailors and their families, 
atiy Glaims for jjensions, pay or hou7ity^ etc., with- 
out cost to the claimant. 

26?. To protect Soldiers and Sailors and their families from 
imposture and fraud. 

Sd. To prevent false claims from heing made against the 
Government. 

\th. To give gratuitous advice and information to Soldiers 
and Sailors^ or their families, needing it. 



REPORT. 



ORGANIZATION. 

On Monday, January 19th, 1863, a meeting of 
gentlemen was held at the Directors' Room of the 
Merchants Bank, in this City, to consider the pro- 
priety of organizing an Association for the Protection 
of Soldiers and Sailors and their Families having 
Claims upon the Government. There were present 
the following gentlemen : 

Rev. Dr. Bellows. Mr. IIowaku Potter. 

Mr. James W. Beekman. Mr. Theo. Roosevelt. 
Mr. RoBT. B. Minturn. Mr. Wm. E. Dodge, Jr. 

The meeting was organized by calling Mr. Robt. 
B. MiNTURis^ to the chair, and appointing Mr. Potter 
Secretary pro tempore. 

After an explanation by Mr. Roosevp:lt of the 
necessity of the proposed Association for the protec- 
tion of soldiers and sailors and their families, in view 
of the frauds committed by unprincipled men in the 
collection of their claims against the Government, and 
a discussion as to the best means of affording that pro- 
tection, it was resolved tliat the Association be organ- 
ized \vitli the follo^ving objects : 

1st. To secure to soldiers and sailors and their 
families, any chums for pensions, pay or bount}', etc., 
without cost to the claimant. 



6 

2d. To protect soldiers or sailors and their fami- 
lies from imposture and fi'aud. 

3d. To prevent false claims from being made 
against tlie Government. 

4tli. To 2:ive o-ratuitous advice and information 
to soldiers and sailors or their families needing it. 

At this and subsequent meetings a Board of 
Officers and Directors were chosen. 

LOCATION OF OFFICE. 

An office was opened on the 16th day of March 
last, at No, 35 Chambers Street, as being the most 
accessible location, and also most convenient to the 
pul)lic offices, with some of which frequent communi- 
cation would be necessary. For a time notices ^vere 
inserted in some of the daily papers, but owdng to the 
great expense of advertising, this had soon to be dis- 
continued. The Association is, however, indebted to 
the proprietors of the " New York Sun" for gratuitous 
advertising, beside many other favors. Handbills, 
circulars and cards were sent to the hospitals, camps 
and barracks in and around Ne^v-York, and to villages 
and towns in different parts of the State, announcing 
the existence of the Association and its ol)jects. Cir- 
culars and cards were also sent to Washington, Balti- 
more and Philadelphia, to be placed in the hands of 
soldiers on their way to and from the army. Gradu- 
ally, by these means, and by the favorable rej^orts of 
those who had placed their claims in the hands of the 
Association, or received from it assistance and advice, 
it became known to the discharged soldiers and others 



that tlieir claims could he collected without the neces- 
sity of emj)loying agents, at the sacrifice of a large 
portion of their claims. 

BUSINESS STAFF. 

At first but one clerk was employed, but it was 
soon found necessary to increase the business stafl^* of 
the ofiice. Since June last three clerks have been re- 
quired to attend to the wants of the applicants, and 
in preparing and forwarding their claims. 

^PATURE OF THE BUSINESS, AND MODE OF CONDUCTING IT. 

The business of the Association may be divided 
into four classes. The first part l)eing the regular 
claims for pensions, l)ounty and arrears of pay; 
second. The collection of prize money ; third, The 
collection of money due discharged soldiers, which, 
through the carelessness and neglect of officials or the 
ignoi'ance of the men themselves, has not been paid ; 
and, fourth, The giving of advice and information 
upon all matters relating to the army and navy. 

Applications under the first of these classes are 
taken in registers, each claim being numbered and 
indexed in such a manner that it can at once T)e re- 
ferred to Avhen necessary. These entries contain all 
the facts needed to prepare the declarations and affi- 
davits required, as well as a complete record of the 
progress of the claim. 

Applications for claims of the second and third 
class are entered in a register devoted to those 
branches of the business. Of the fourth class no ac- 
curate record can be kept. 



8 

As soon as a claim is entered on the books of the 
Association, the necessary declaration and affidavits 
are drawn up, to. which the applicant and his or her 
witnesses are required to make oath. In order to save 
expense to those presenting their claims through the 
Association, the appointment of Notary Public was 
obtained for the Secretary from the Governor of the 
State. The claims for 1 )ounty, arrears of pay and prize 
money, are thus completed in the office, and without 
expense to the claimant. The cost of affidavits and 
depositions, as additional evidence and otherwise, in 
many cases is considerable, and where claims are 
placed in the hands of ordinary agents, must be paid 
by the claimant, and are not included in the fee 
charged for collection. 

A])plications for pensions must 1)e sworn to befoi'e 
an officer of a Court of Record, and we take pleasure 
in acknowledging the indebtedness of the Association 
to Col. George F. Betts, Clerk of the District Court 
of the United States, and to Mr. Osborn, his deputy^ 
and also to Mr. Kenneth G. White, Clerk of the 
Circuit Court of the United States and his deputy, 
Mr. Still WELL, and to Mr. Lander and Mr. Jarvis, of 
the Court of Common Pleas, for their services in tak- 
ing the affidavits of claimants and witnesses. This 
has been done gratuitously, and not without great 
inconvenience and loss of time to them. 

It being necessary in all api)lications for l)ounty 
or arrears of pay by discharged soldiers, to send their 
certificates of discharge to the Second Auditor of the 
Treasury De])artment, objections were frequently 
made to parting with this their only protection from 



9 

arrest as deserters, and proof of their discharge frc^m 
the service. This difliculty was overcome by an order 
from Major-General Wool, while in command of this 
I )e{)artmeiit, conferring upon tlie Secretary of the 
Association the riglit to issue receipts for discharges 
placed in his hands, which would exempt the l)earer 
from arrest. 

TRUST FUND. 

The Trust Fund of the Association, amounting to 
about $2()(H), is the surplus of a fund raised in this 
city for a charitable pur})ose, and which, with tlie 
consent of the subscribers thereto, was transferred to 
the Protective War Claim Association, in trust, for 
the ])urpose of making advances upon claims. Much 
suffering is occasioned by the delay attending the 
settlement of claims against the Government, and 
often families are reduced to absolute want by the 
death of a soldier, when there may be due them from 
Government from one to two hundred dollars in 
bounty money and arrears of pay. For this they are 
obliged to wait from a year to fifteen months. Many 
sacrifice their claims for one-half or one-quarter their 
value, to obtain means for their present necessities," 
and thus encourage a class of persons who stand ready 
to rob the soldier at every turn. It was to prevent 
this suffering and sacrifice, by making small advances 
to claimants, that this fund was transferred to the 
Association. The smallness of the amount for sucli 
a purpose will at once l)e apparent. 

The usefidness of the Association might be greatly 
augmented by an increase of the Trust Fund, so that 



10 

loans on claims might be made in a greater number 
of cases, and in larger amounts. Among those who 
have been relieved by this fund were a number of 
soldiers who were discharged at Hilton Head, S. C, 
and sent to this city. All of them were suffering more 
or less from wounds and disease. Upon their arrival, 
their pajjers were found to be imperfect, and they 
were consequently unable to collect any of the money 
which was due them. Transportation had been fur- 
nished them only to this city, and they were turned 
adrift to reach their homes in distant parts of this 
and other States as best they could. Through the 
recommendation of Col. Howe, of the New-England 
Soldiers' Relief Association, nearly one hundred of 
them were induced to place their papers in our hands. 
Sufficient money was advanced to those who were 
destitute to carry them to their homes. Their papers 
were returned to Hilton Head for correction, and 
when again received were paid by the paymaster, and 
the money transmitted to them. The amount col- 
lected was between five and six thousand dollars. 

RESULTS. 

Considering the difficulties which would naturally 
present themselves in an undertaking of this kind, 
and the inability of the Association to l)ring itself 
more prominently before the pul)lic l)y })roper adver- 
tising, and also the opposition of those whose interest 
would lead them to defeat by every means in their 
power the objects of the Association, it will be seen 
that the work performed has been by no means small 
in amount, or unimportant in its results. 



11 

The iiiiml)er of applicutions which have heeii en- 
tered on tlie books of tlie Association, ending with 
Dec. 31st, 1868, has been as follows : 

For Bounty and Arrears of Pay, 1375 

'' Pensions 1024 

" Prize Money, Ill 

" Miscellaneous, 20 

2530 

Value of Claims for Bounty and Arrears 

of Pay, 1192,500 00 

" of Pensions, 98,304 00 

" of Prize Claims, 37,000 00 

" of Miscellaneous Claims, 1,000 00 

S328,804 00 

Of these claims there have been collected. 

Of Bounty and Arrears of Pay, 69 

" Pensions, 107 

" Prize Claims, 28 

" Miscellaneous, 7 

211 

Amount collected and paid to claimants, 

For Bounty and Arrears of Pay, $8,739 54 

" Pensions, 8,639 76 

" Prize Claims, 9,147 03 

" Miscellaneous tk on Imperfect Papers, 6,000 00 

$32,526 33 



12 

At tlie lowest charge made by Claim Agents for 
tlie collection of the bounty and arrears of pay, which 
is ten per cent., with the usual Notaries fees, cVc, ad- 
ded, and >8>6.5() for procuring pensions, the saving 
to the claimants would l)e at least ^27,281, The 
actual saving would be much greater ; for compara- 
tively tew fall into the hands of those agents who are 
reliable men, and have a fixed tariff of charges. If 
we consider the extra charges made, and the advan- 
tage taken of claimants in many ways by some en- 
gaged in the lousiness, we can safely place the amount 
as high as $36,874, or one-third more than the pre- 
vious calculation. 

Sailors and others connected with the navy, from 
their proverbial disregard of money, and ignorance of 
l)usiness matters, are more subject to imposition than 
any other class of claimants. Many are induced to 
part with their claims for prize money for less than 
half their value, while others are charged exorbitant 
sums for collection and as interest for money loaned on 
these claims. 

At ten per cent., which is the lowest charge made 
for the collection of this class of claims, the saving 
would be ^8,7(H). This, together witli the amount 
saved on miscellaneous claims, etc., would raise the 
amount to over !|;40,()()(). 

The rooms of the Association are frequently 
cro^vded with persons, the greater part of whom are 
seeking advice or information upon almost every sub- 
ject relating to the army and navy. The very general 
ignorance of the manner of doing business with the 



13 

Government wliieli exists, and the difficulty of obtain- 
ing information of officials, renders this branch of the 
business of very great value to the public. The num- 
ber of persons v^ho have applied to the Association 
for advice and information since the office was opened 
will not fall far short of 8000. 

A brief statement has now been given of the 
operations of the Association since the opening of the 
office in March last, a period of less than ten months. 
Much more could have been done, had it been in our 
power to advertize extensively ; but the expense at- 
tending this mode of bringing the existence and ob- 
jects of the Association before the public, would have 
been greater than the state of the treasury would 
admit of. 

The ^\'ork of receiving and forwarding the claims 
has been so systematized, that the business might be 
doubled without materially adding to the exjienses. 

Applications for situations are frequently received 
from discharged soldiers, but the Association has been 
unal)le to procure employment for them, except in a 
very few cases. Although not coming within the 
ol>jects of the Association, still something might be 
done towards assisting those willing to work, in find- 
ing some labor which they could perform, thereby 
encouraging the soldier, and lessening the tax upon 
the community. Many of our discharged soldiers are 
anxious to work, if employment suited to their con- 
dition could be had. Incapacitated by wounds re- 
ceived, or disease contracted in the service, they are 
unable to ^vork at the trades to which they have been 



14 

reared, l^ut are still capable of performing the duties 
of light porters and messengers in many of onr public 
and private offices. The relief granted to the families 
of volunteers by the city, ceases as soon as the soldier 
is discharged, and in many cases he returns to find 
his family penniless, and himself unable to earn a 
livelihood for them. This, together with the delays 
which attend the settlement of claims against the 
Government, doubtless deters many from enlisting, 
who would gladly do so for a moderate bounty, if 
they could feel assured that they would be provided 
with employment, ])y which they could keep their 
families from want, in the event of their returning 
disabled, and unfit for hard labor. If our officials 
and the public will, in employing persons for the 
lighter kinds of labor, give the preference to those 
who have served their country in the field, they will 
be doing but an act of justice to the soldier, and 
lessen the numl)er of those who will be obliged to 
depend upon charity for support. 

The Association might open books, in which the 
names of all desiring employment could be registered, 
and to which the public would have access. 

Much of the sufi^ering of our soldiers and their 
families, as well as the great accumulation of claims 
in the office of the Second Auditor, is occasioned by 
the carelessness and incompetence of some of the offi- 
cers of our army. Every day men apply for advice 
or assistance, who have been discharged with imper- 
fect papers, and consequently have been unable to 
collect of the paymaster the pay which may be due 
them. The only course left, in most cases, is to file 



15 

the claim in the office of the Second Auditor, and 
wait the year or fifteen months which must elapse 
before the claim will be settled. No man should be 
discharged from the service until his papers were 
complete. 

The Association has endeavored faithfully to carry 
out the objects for which it was formed. The ob- 
stacles and difficulties against which it has had to 
contend have been many, and not the least of these 
has been the suspicion of some of those for whom it 
has been working ; but in no case has any complaint 
been made ])y those whose claims have been settled 
by the Government; for in all such, the claimants 
have received the full amount allowed, without any 
expense to them for its collection. As no charge is 
made for the collection of claims or other services, 
the Association is obliged to look to the public for 
means to meet the necessary expenses of the Ijusiness. 
The burden thus far has been borne by a few, but 
we trust that, like the Sanitary Commission and other 
charitable associations which have sprung up for the 
relief of the soldier, and have been so liberally sup- 
ported, this, too, will at once commend itself to all 
who feel an interest in those who have fought our 
V)attles for us. The Association has also claims upon 
the liberality and aid of tlie puldic as a useful charity, 
relieving distress, and securing to soldiers and their 
families, sj)eedily, and in full, the pay, etc., which may 
1)6 due them, thus preventing their becoming a j)ublic 
burden. 

HENRY GREENPIELD, 

Secretary, 



ADDENDA. 



The number of applications which have been 
entered on the books of the Association, and the 
amount of money collected and paid over to claim- 
ants IN ADDITION to what has already been 
stated in the foregoing report, has been as follows: 

From January 1st, 18H4, to FebruaTy Int, 1864. 

For Bounty and Arrears of Pay, 154 

" Pensions, 118 

'' Prize Money, 28 

300 

Yalue ofClamis for Bounty and Arrears! j+,-.- c\r\c\ no 
of Pay, (^$21,909 98 

Pensions, 11,328 00 

Prize Clamis, 14,000 00 

$47, 237 98 

AMOUNT COLLECTED AND PAID TO CLAIMANTS 

For Bounty and Arrears of Pay, $16,199 03 

- Pension, 2,508 00 

- Prize Money, 8,340 22 

$27,047 25 



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SUBSCRIBERS 



Novelty Iron Works, $200 

John J. Astor, 100 

Robert L. Stuart, 100 

James Gallatin, 100 

Theodore Roosevelt, 100 

Wm. H. Aspinwall, 100 

James W. Beekman, 100 

Wm. E. Dodge, Jr., 100 

Robert B. Minturn, 100 

Hamilton Fish, 100 

Wilson G. Hunt, 100 

A. Stuart, 100 

A. Tselin & Co 100 

Phelps, Dodge & Co 100 

Ward, Campbell & Co 100 

George Opdyke & Co 100 

James Lenox, 100 

John D. Wolfe, 100 

Western & Gray, 100 

F F. Randolph, 100 

Joseph Sampson, 100 

Lord & Taylor, 100 

Meredith Howland, 100 

D. G. Bacon, 100 

Leonard W. Jerome, 100 

Charles C. Goodhue, 100 

American Bank Note Co. by 

Elliott F. Shepard, 100 



National Bank Note Co. by 

Elliott F. Shepard 100 

Cash, 100 

Sturges, Bennet & Co. ... . 50 

Joini B. Murray, 50 

E. H. Miller 50 

C. Delmonico, 50 

Charles Butler, 50 

T. Morton, 50 

T. 0. Leroy & Co 50 

Thomas H. Fade, 50 

Spaulding, Hunt & Co 50 

George Bruce, 50 

Wetmore & Co 50 

S. B. Chittenden & Co 50 

Wells, Fargo & Co 50 

Henry F. W. Mali, 50 

Thomas Hitchcock, 50 

C. J. & F. W. Coggill, 50 

W. Oothout, 50 

B. R. iVJcIlvaine, 50 

Halsted, Haines & Co 50 

A. Pell, 25 

J. L. Schieffelin, 25 

Tatham & Bros 25 

Hiram Barney, 25 

J. W Hamersley, 25 

S. W. Field, 25 



20 



R. J. Livingston, 25 

R. Witthaus, 25 

A. C. Ricliards, 25 

F. Prime, 25 

S. Gandy & Co 25 

Charles Carow, 25 

D. W. B. by Theo. Roosevelt, 25 

H. N. Camp, 25 

Trowbridge, D wight & Co. . . 25 

Samuel Willetts, 25 

Simon de Visser, 25 

J. L. Inckerman, 25 

Wm. Allen Butler, 25 

J. Q. Jones, 26 

Wm. F. Carey, .' 25 

George Bliss, Jr., 25 

Benj. W. Field, 25 

Cooper, Hewitt & Co 25 

D. B. Eaton, 25 

L. L. Sturges, 25 

Ockershausen & Bros 25 

Rees & Hoyt, 25 

Robt. Hoe & Co 25 



Hoyt Bros 25 

D, A. Cushman, ?5 

Shethar & Nichols 25 

Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation of Rev. Dr. Adam's 

Church, 25 

Vyse & Sons 25 

Peter Cooper, 25 

Tiffany & Co 25 

William Marten, 25 

Henry Sheldon, 20- 

Paton & Co 20 

Barstow & Pope, 20 

Augs. D. Shepard, 10 

Elhott F. Shepard, 10 

H. J. Brooks & Co 10 

Baldwin, Fish & Co 10 

Jas. W. Schermerhorn, 10 

B. F. & Co 10 

Columbian Foundry 10 

William Alsop, 5 

General Ewen, 5 

Cash 2 



/ 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



013 744 368 5 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



013 744 368 5 



